


English Teachers are Therapists

by Ginger_Holby, Southerner_holby



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn, Falsettos - Lapine/Finn (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24685351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginger_Holby/pseuds/Ginger_Holby, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southerner_holby/pseuds/Southerner_holby
Summary: Jason starts at a new school. Whizzer is his new English teacher. He is basically a therapist like every English teacher I have ever had.He and Marvin were university roommates, they bump into each other again.
Relationships: Dr. Charlotte/Cordelia (Falsettos), Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld, Whizzer Brown/Marvin
Comments: 15
Kudos: 59





	1. A new beginning

A whole year since Trina and Marvin divorced, Marvin wasn’t happy. He was jealous of Trina’s newfound happiness with Mendel, his psychiatrist. Of course, he had dated briefly, but Jason never liked them. Simon treated Jason like a little kid, and Arthur hated kids full stop. No one was ever perfect. Marvin was beginning to lose hope and started to accept that he would never find happiness again. Jason had been staying at his flat more often, and it was his first day at a new school. 

On his way to drop off Jason on his first day, he tried to reassure him. 

“Hey, Jason, you’re gonna be just fine.” he said as he pulled up to the front gates. “Just relax.”

“I’m trying, but it’s easier said than done,” he replied, breathing deeply. 

Someone began hooting and shouting at him to move his car out of the way, so he encouraged Jason quickly to get out of the car. “Have a great day!” he shouted in a final attempt to calm him down.

“Excuse me, can’t you see I’m talking to my son?” Marvin shouted at the car behind him, sticking his head out of the window. 

“You’re blocking the turning!” the driver of said car yelled back as he drove around him. He drove what looked like a hairdryer that shouldn’t be driving on the roads. 

“Whatever!” he shouted, driving off quickly so as not to embarrass Jason. He wasn’t going to forget the type of car in a hurry, so he’d confront the driver when Jason was less likely to see. 

When he got home, he texted Jason: GOOD LUCK! YOU’LL DO GREAT! :) 

He didn’t get a reply, assuming it was a good thing and that Jason had made some friends. 

A short while later, his phone started ringing. It was Trina. They were staying friends for Jason’s sake, and of course he still cared for her, but their marriage just hadn’t been working, in addition to the fact he’d realised he was gay. 

“Hi Trina,” he answered the phone. 

“Is Jason okay? How is he?” she asked quickly, clearly concerned about whether Marvin was looking after him properly. 

“Yeah he was fine when I dropped him off. He was nervous, but I tried to calm him down. Some idiot began hooting at me though, so Jason got out quickly. I did text him, but he hasn’t replied.”

“Right, well thank you for not calming my nerves,” Trina responded, wondering why she hadn’t insisted on taking him herself. 

“Trina, he’s thirteen, he’ll be fine. Calm down. I’ll bring him straight to your house after I pick him up.”

“Okay, thanks Marvin. Bye.” 

“See you later,” Marvin hung up. He didn’t understand why Trina was so worried. He was Jason’s father, as if he’d let anything happen to him! 

6 hours later, and Jason had just finished school. As he waited for his dad to drive into the carpark, his English teacher, Mr Brown, appeared beside him. 

“Are you alright Jason?” he asked, as a good teacher would. 

“Yeah, I’m okay, just waiting for my dad to pick me up,” he replied, looking back to the carpark entrance. 

“Did you have a good first day?”

“It was alright.” Whizzer saw how down he looked. 

“I was the new kid in the staffroom last year, I know it can be hard but you’ll settle in. I’m always here if you need someone to chat to, or play chess with!” he laughed, nudging Jason’s shoulder. 

“Don’t most people say English teachers are basically therapists? My stepdad is a therapist and he’s just annoying.” 

“Ah, I haven’t heard that one before,” he could see Jason wasn’t really bothered. “Right, I should get going, I’ll see you tomorrow Jason!” 

Just as he got into his car, he saw Jason’s dad pull up. He realised that it was the car that annoyed him that morning, but didn’t want to confront him in front of Jason, that would be unprofessional. He did, however, realise that he recognised him a bit. He couldn’t remember where on earth from. 

“Hey Jason! How was your day?”

“It was okay”

“Who was that man talking to you?” Marvin responded, hoping it wasn’t some creepy old guy. 

“Oh, that was Mr Brown, my English teacher.”

“Is he a good teacher?”

“Yeah, he said I could go and talk to him anytime, and said we could play chess together!”

There was only one person Marvin knew who liked chess apart from Jason, but it was too much of a coincidence to be true. 

“Great! Well I’m glad you had an okay day” he replied, deciding not to bring up his old university roommate. 

As he looked behind him to turn out of the carpark, he saw the car that hooted him that morning. In the car was someone who looked extremely familiar. They held eye contact for a few seconds. 

“Dad?” 

“Yep”

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh, nothing Jason, let’s go and drop you off at your mum’s”

Without a second glance, Marvin drove off as quickly as he could. He didn’t want to think about the man sitting in the car, it had been too long, and he’d only just healed.


	2. Parent's Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's parent's evening, and Marvin and Whizzer are forced to see each other again.

A couple of weeks since Marvin and Whizzer had seen each other, it was parent’s evening, and Whizzer was anxious that Marvin would turn up again. Part of him hoped he wouldn’t, but knew that wouldn’t be fair on Jason. Cordelia, the food tech teacher, and Charlotte, who taught biology, were chatting in the staffroom when Whizzer arrived for the day. 

“Hi Whizzer!” they both smiled, patting the empty seat on the sofa, prompting him to sit down since they hadn’t seen him for a while. Whizzer didn’t seem keen, but knew he had to talk to someone about Marvin. 

“Hey,” they both noticed he seemed off. 

“What’s up? I know its parent’s evening tonight but it’s not the end of the world, we   
can look forward to the wine afterwards,” Whizzer smiled at this. 

“Oh, come on, what’s wrong, scared someone will try to get you fired?” Charlotte joked, but Whizzer didn’t laugh. 

“I, erm, I saw Marvin a few weeks ago… I’m scared he’ll turn up tonight.” Cordelia gasped. 

“As in, the Marvin, university roommate Marvin?” she pressed. 

“Yes, that Marvin.” Whizzer held his head in his hands. 

“Where did you see him?”

“In the carpark. He’s the parent of one of my students. I don’t know what to do. Jason is such a sweet kid, and I don’t want him to know what went on between me and Marvin, but I can’t just be normal.”

“Well” Charlotte interrupted him, “you have to be. We can’t bring our personal lives into school, we don’t want to affect the kids. Would it be so bad if you did talk to him, it might relieve some of the tension,” she placed her hand on Whizzer’s knee, trying to calm him down. 

The bell rang, meaning they had to get to first period, and Whizzer was teaching Jason in the first lesson of the day. Without another word, he got up and walked out of the staffroom to his classroom. Cordelia and Charlotte exchanged a concerned look. 

Jason ran into lesson late. “Sorry I’m late, my dad’s car broke down.” 

“It’s okay Jason, you haven’t missed much, only my joke of the day and it wasn’t even a funny one.” He smiled at Jason as he sat at his desk. 

“Right, today we’re looking at ‘The Tempest’ by Shakespeare. You’ll like this one Jason, it’s got a chess scene in it!” 

Jason beamed at Whizzer. He had such a special place in his heart for him, and he didn’t want his complicated relationship with Marvin to change that. 

The lesson ended an hour later, and Whizzer asked Jason to stay behind. He had to know whether Marvin would be there tonight. 

“Jason, will your dad be here tonight? Or someone else?” 

“My dad’s going to try and make it, but he’s working until 6 so he’ll be a bit late. What   
are you going to tell him? Am I doing badly?”

“No, Jason, of course you’re not doing badly! I was just wondering, that’s all. You’d better get to your next class!” Jason quickly walked out of the classroom and down the   
corridor. 

Maybe he could just make an excuse to leave early. That wouldn’t be fair on Jason, but at least he wouldn’t have to face seeing Marvin again. 

At the day continued, Whizzer was getting more and more anxious. He could feel it showing in his classes, but he was preoccupied with considering what he would say if he did see Marvin. He decided he would just have to face him. He wanted to tell someone how great Jason was doing, and it wasn’t fair to keep something like that from Jason. 

Unbeknownst to Whizzer, Marvin was sat on his sofa after a long morning getting his car repaired. He knows he saw Whizzer, but he really hoped he wouldn’t see him tonight. He doesn’t want to have to relive what happened between them. He considered just not going, but he desperately wanted to know how Jason was getting on at his new school. He would just have to face him and deal with the consequences. 

He was dreading it. Although, while he didn’t like to admit it, part of him looked forward to being able to admire Whizzer again. He stood up to make another mug of tea (I’m English, tea is part of our culture, I can’t not put this in here) and looked out of the window in a daze. He could no longer tell how he felt about the prospect of seeing his former lover again. 

The end of the day loomed, and everyone was nervous. The teachers hated talking to   
the parents who didn’t care, the students dreaded being talked about, the parents were worried about hearing bad things about their beloved children, and Marvin and Whizzer were just scared in general. They hadn’t spoken since university graduation, and that was 16 years ago. Of course, they missed each other for all of that time, but neither could pluck up the courage to reach out and just talk. 

6pm, Whizzer had just finished speaking to the final parent of the night. Only one no-show: Marvin. He decided to wait, tried to do some marking but he was preoccupied with looking out the window with a slight hope that he would show up. 

Half an hour later he faced the fact that he wasn’t coming, so put on his coat and hooked his bag over his shoulder. In the silence, he heard someone running in the corridor. 

Marvin appeared in the doorway. Marvin. The Marvin. His first boyfriend who he hadn’t seen in 16 years. Whizzer couldn’t speak, he was lost in admiration for the man who stood mere feet away from him. 

“Sorry I’m late” he heard Marvin say. 

Whizzer smiled slightly. “That’s okay, take a seat”. 

Marvin sat at the table across from him. They just stared at each other for a while, until Whizzer remembered that he was Jason’s teacher, and this was parent’s evening. 

“So, erm, Jason’s doing well, he’s settled in great and he’s on track to do really well in English. Today we talked about a chess scene written by Shakespeare which he seemed to enjoy!”

“Ha, he loves chess!” Marvin interrupted, smiling. Whizzer smiled back, not knowing what else to say, worrying he was rambling. 

“He did struggle at first, but I told him he could always come to me if he needed someone to talk to, and he seemed to perk up a bit after that”. 

“You know, Jason thinks the world of you. Every day after school he won’t stop talking about your lessons, or how you played chess with him”. Marvin continued, and Whizzer broke the eye contact he hadn’t realised he’d been holding for the entire conversation. 

“He’s a good kid.”

“He sure is.” Neither of them knew what to say after this. The silence was slightly awkward. 

“Thank you for helping him to settle in.” Marvin didn’t know why he said that. He just couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore. Why was he thanking the man he’d been in pain over for such a long time?

“It’s no problem.” There was the silence again, the silence that held all of the pain both of them had held since the last time they spoke. The time they broke up, the time when Marvin slammed the door as he stormed out of their flat, not even thinking about turning back because he’d have to admit he was wrong, and that he loved Whizzer more than he’d ever thought it possible to love anyone. 

“They’ll be locking up the school soon, so we should probably…”

“Yep, of course. Thank you for your time Mr Brown.” Marvin held out his hand to   
shake Whizzer’s. Whizzer tentatively took it but flinched slightly, but he didn’t feel   
pain. He felt a sense of relief wash over him as though they had just reconciled. 

They walked out to the carpark side by side, inches from each other. Both wanted to reach out and hold the other man’s hand, but neither did, almost as if they had a silent agreement of keeping this strictly professional, the normal relationship that a teacher would have with the parent of a student. 

Just as they were about to walk in different directions, Marvin made a bold decision. 

“Whizzer, wait.” Whizzer stopped and turned towards Marvin, bracing himself for   
what was about to be said. “Would it be possible to see you outside of school, just to talk?” 

“Marvin, I can’t. I don’t think you realise how hard it’s been for me to move on.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I just think we should talk about what happened. You’re going to be Jason’s teacher for a while, and I don’t want to things to be tense between us. Please, for Jason’s sake.” Marvin pleaded, doing his best not to reach out and touch Whizzer’s hair, or his face, or to thread their fingers together and feel the warmth that he always remembered there being. 

“Think about it, okay? Text me,” Marvin placed a piece of paper into Whizzer’s hand and walked to his car, leaving Whizzer speechless. 

He never thought Marvin would be the one to reach out, and yet he was pleasantly surprised. Driving back to his flat, he knew what his answer to Marvin’s request would be, but he didn’t know how to admit that he wanted to see him again. 

Before getting out of the car, he texted Marvin. 

“Hi Marvin, it’s Whizzer. I’m free this weekend x”

Whizzer regretted sending the kiss at the end, but it wasn’t as if he had nothing but hatred for Marvin. He would always have so much love for the man who taught him how to love. Yes, they had an unhealthy relationship, and he realises that now, but talking about it would be the best thing for both of them. Whizzer refused to let himself fall for Marvin again, but what harm could talking do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this chapter slightly longer than the first, I hope you like it! I really enjoyed writing it :)   
> Any comments are more than welcome x


	3. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer and Marvin meet for coffee and talk about everything that happened. Brief mention of the hairdryer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it! Any feedback means the world :)   
> Stay safe everyone! x

Saturday arrived quicker than Whizzer would have liked. He slowly poured himself some cereal as he willed for the morning to slow down. He wasn’t quite prepared to see Marvin again. He constantly asked himself why he agreed to this but, then again, it wasn’t as if they were going to get back together. All he hoped for was closure, and that’s what Marvin wanted too. They hadn’t spoken for 16 years, and a coffee wasn’t going to change anything. 

Across town, Marvin was almost being swallowed by the fear that was present in the pit of his stomach. Since he last saw Whizzer, he’s admitted to what an idiot he was, and how badly he treated everyone who came into his life, especially Whizzer. He wished he could have seen how much Whizzer was suffering when they were together, constantly feeling as though he wasn’t good enough for the man who treated him with such little respect. He was desperate for Whizzer to see how much he had changed, even if it meant they were only friends. Friends was all he could hope for after how despicably he treated him. 

Marvin waited inside the small coffee shop for what felt like an eternity. He decided to buy Whizzer’s coffee ready for when he arrived, praying that he remembered his order correctly. His head snapped up as the door opened, and Whizzer smiled timidly when he saw he was sat in the far corner. 

Marvin stood up. “Hi.”

“Hi Marvin”. Whizzer sat down, appreciating the fact that Marvin had chosen a table in the corner. 

“You got me a coffee?” Whizzer asked, surprised at the mug that sat on the table in front of him. 

“Yeah, I, erm, hope I remember your order right.” They both smiled briefly before Whizzer took a sip of his coffee. His smile widened when it tasted exactly as he liked it. 

“You’ve got it pretty spot on.” Marvin just smiled and took a breath. 

“Look, Whizzer…”

“No, I’d like to start, if that’s okay”. Marvin nodded, not wanting Whizzer to feel as though he was trying to overpower him. 

After taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts, Whizzer began to speak. “Marvin. What you did and how you acted really hurt me. I’ve only just finished healing   
after being in therapy for all 16 years since we last spoke. You made me feel worthless, and unlovable.” Whizzer continued, but Marvin interrupted him. 

“I’ve, erm, been in therapy too. I thought I was broken, and that’s what ended our relationship, and then I realised how toxic my behaviour was. I used to go out in the   
afternoon and not come back until the next morning, I’d leave you on your own, making you think I didn’t love you.” Marvin decided to cover Whizzer’s hand with his   
own, and he didn’t realise he had started crying in anger at himself. 

“Marvin…” Whizzer whispered, but Marvin wanted to speak now. 

“Whizzer. I am so sorry for how I treated you. You deserved so much better than me, and that’s what made me leave. The slamming of the door behind me has been playing in my mind on repeat ever since. I regret not turning back, and coming to tell you how sorry I was, for everything. I hate myself, knowing that I made you feel that bad.” Marvin let out a small sob, breaking Whizzer’s heart. 

Whizzer squeezed Marvin’s hand. “It’s okay,” Whizzer whispered quietly. 

“No it’s not. I don’t even know why you agreed to meet up with me after what I did”. 

“For closure, to understand, and to move on. Marvin, what happened at university doesn’t have to define us. We can start over, as friends.”

Marvin looked up from the spot on the table he had been staring at.

“Anyway, since you’re apparently so gay, how did Jason come about?” Whizzer laughed. 

“Ha, I was drunk and confused, I met Trina, and I’m sure you can imagine what followed. Anyway, her dad insisted that we get married, so I lived a lie for a while.”

“Oh Marvin, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay, you weren’t to know. I am sort of glad though, because I’ve been able to apologise to you for everything.” Marvin smiled, holding eye contact for slightly   
longer than was necessary. Neither of them said anything for a while, just appreciating the closure they had both been needing for a long time. 

“So,” Whizzer continued, “how have you been?” He seemed to genuinely care.

“Yeah I’ve been good, I work in advertising alongside raising Jason and co-existing with Trina, Jason’s mother”. 

“Jason’s a good kid. He’s lucky to have a dad like you.” Whizzer meant it, which surprised himself as well as Marvin. 

Marvin laughed. “I don’t think he thought that when I embarrassed him by shouting at another driver on his first day!” 

“Wait, that was you? The guy driving the Land Rover?”

“That’s me. Ah, you were the one hooting me, weren’t you?” Marvin laughed. 

“The very one!” 

“And what is that hairdryer you drive? It doesn’t exactly look road worthy!” 

“Excuse me, it drives perfectly I’ll have you know! Mine wasn’t the one that broke down!”

“Point taken” Marvin laughed, defeated. “I, erm, I should probably get going, I have Jason today and I promised I’d take him to a baseball game.” 

“Yeah, of course.” 

They both put on their coats and made their way slowly outside, savouring how relaxed they felt in each other’s company. 

“So,” Marvin wanted to say something, anything, before they parted ways. “It was nice to see you, Whizzer, I don’t suppose you’d like to do it again some time? Not in a   
relationship sort of way but, like, just in a friendship sort of way? Sorry, I don’t know what I’m saying!” They both laughed. 

“Yes, Marvin, it would be great to see you again, just in a friendship sort of way.” Whizzer smiled. 

“Great, I’ll text you?” 

“Sounds good. Tell Jason I’ll see him on Monday, enjoy the baseball game!” Whizzer wanted to hug Marvin, to thank him for being so honest in their conversation, but   
thought that would overstep the mark. He refused to fall for him again, but Marvin genuinely seemed to have changed. 

They parted ways, but both men immediately had a sense of longing for the other. Marvin wanted to turn around, but thought that would imply that he wanted   
something more than just friendship, and he didn’t want to put that sort of pressure onto Whizzer. For now, he was just glad that they cleared the air.


	4. Marvin Always Wore Stupid Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin is a flustered mess.  
> Jason gives relationship advice.  
> Whizzer is Prospero.

It had been a week since Whizzer had met Marvin for coffee, and the air had been cleared. They had continued to text back and forth, with the conversation feeling like they were back at university before their relationship had developed into something more. 

As the days went on and their conversation continued, Marvin became apprehensive every time his phone pinged, signalling another message from Whizzer had arrived (getting frustrated when it was just a reminder from his dentist, or a text about his data usage). He wanted to say the right thing, desperate to maintain the newly found friendship after 16 years of disconnection. 

Jason was staying the weekend at Marvin’s flat, and they had a good routine going. Jason would do his homework while Marvin tidied (while on the hunt for his extensive takeaway menus, because God-forbid he ever tried to cook anything, or it be consumed without a doctor present).

Marvin’s phone had been left on vibrate on the kitchen island, where Jason was trying to solve some complicated algebra problems (of which Marvin was no help). 

“Dad, who’s Whizzer?” Jason asked, with Marvin failing to hear his phone nearly vibrate off the table.

Marvin rushed over, quickly grabbing the phone from his son. He felt his face turn bright red.

“Oh, um, he’s no one”, he replied, almost dropping the phone in all the panic. 

Jason remembered that name from somewhere, and it didn’t take him long to remember. With a name like ‘Whizzer’, one could hardly forget. 

“Isn’t that my English teacher’s name?” Jason asked, baffled by his dad’s secretive behaviour. 

Marvin didn’t know what to reply, knowing that Jason was smarter than the average 13-year old. 

“Um, yes”, was all Marvin could muster. 

“Why do you have his number?”

Marvin knew that Jason wasn’t going to let this go, no matter how much Marvin willed him to, so he decided to come clean. 

“Whizzer and I went to university together. We recognised each other at your parents’ evening, and we met for coffee to catch up”. 

“Oh, but you were at university when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, how on earth did you remember each other?” Jason queried, with Marvin laughing out loud at this observation. 

“Firstly, rude. Secondly…” Marvin took a deep breath, already feeling his face heating up. “We were more than just friends”. 

“You mean you were going around holding hands and kissing my teacher?” Jason said with fake disgust (which Marvin could recognise after spending 13 years raising the most expressive child the world has ever known). The teenager buried his head in his hands. 

“Well, we did a bit more than that”.

“TOO MUCH INFORMATION!” Jason shouted, cringing as if he’d just eaten cotton wool. 

Marvin laughed at how uncomfortable he’s made his 13-year old.

“We were in love!” Marvin cried, his heart racing as he said it, as he knew it was partially still true, but he was too scared to admit it. 

“Are you still in love?” Jason asked. Marvin’s eyes grew wider, annoyed at how upfront his child was with asking uncomfortable questions. 

Marvin contemplated for a few seconds, knowing but not liking the answer he was about to give. 

“I think I still love him”, Marvin’s heart was beating at the speed of sound, feeling like it might burst. He turned his eyes to the floor and kept them there, hating himself for falling for someone who could never love him back, because of how badly he’d treated the other man. 

“Well does he know?” Jason asked, obviously excited at the prospect of his dad and his favourite teacher rekindling their romance. 

“No”, Marvin’s eyes remained pointed at the floor, embarrassed that he was probably about to receive relationship advice from his teenage son. 

“You should tell him! He won’t be mean if he doesn’t feel the same way, he’s awesome! And if he does feel the same, then I’ll have an awesome stepdad, so it’s a win-win for me!” Jason said, shrugging as if it were no big deal. “Go tell him!”, he reinforced. 

…………………………………………………

Jason had somehow convinced Marvin to drive him to school, park the car and go in search of Whizzer. However, this had backfired when Jason became distracted talking to his friends, leaving Marvin to navigate around the maze of corridors alone. He felt like he had been left in the wilderness alone to be eaten by hyenas. 

Marvin didn’t know how, but he’d somehow ended up in the drama department (definitely not where Whizzer would be).  
He saw a light on in what he thought was a classroom, and slowly entered with the intention of asking for directions. 

He wasn’t prepared for what faced him, as he walked into a small theatre, only to see the one and only Whizzer Brown performing a monologue from The Tempest (Marvin’s favourite Shakespeare play).  
After coming to terms with what was happening, Marvin slowly lowered himself into a seat, being careful not to disturb the most beautiful Prospero he’d ever seen. 

As the monologue came to an end, Marvin started an applause that could barely be heard, as he didn’t want to startle the man he’d come to confess his love to. 

“Marvin? What on earth are you doing here? Parents aren’t allowed on school site without permission,” Whizzer said with the biggest smirk on his face. 

“Well this is going to have to be an exception then, isn’t it,” Marvin smiled, as he began to descend the stairs, heading towards Whizzer. 

“To re-iterate my original question: what on God’s great earth are you doing here?” Whizzer laughed.

“I came to see you. Well, Jason encouraged me to come and see you, but he abandoned me so I got lost and ended up here”, Marvin answered, looking sheepish. 

“Why did you want to see me?”, Marvin asked, determined to get a straight (well, not quite) answer. 

“I need to tell you something, and if I don’t tell you now then I might burst, and I’ll regret until the day I die”, Marvin said quickly, keeping his eyes on the floor, just wanting the ground to swallow him. 

Marvin took a deep breath, preparing himself to die on the spot should this go wrong.

He didn’t get a chance to say anything more, as he felt Whizzer grab onto his tie and crash their lips together. Marvin hesitated for second while he tried to register what was happening, before wrapping his arms around the taller man’s neck. This went on for a good 20 seconds, although it felt like a lifetime (neither Whizzer nor Marvin would complain). 

They separated, with both men staring at each other, not sure what to say. 

“You always did wear stupid ties”, Whizzer smirked. 

Marvin rolled his eyes, gently cradling Whizzer’s face with his hand. 

“I still love you, you know. I don’t believe I ever truly stopped,” Marvin took a gamble, unsure of what the response would be.

Whizzer’s arms moved to the other man’s waist.

“I promise not to mess it up this time,” Whizzer rested his forehead on Marvin’s. 

“I do too,” Marvin whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written by my amazingly talented twin sister, @Ginger_Holby.  
> We both hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and we appreciate any comments.  
> Stay safe everyone! :) x


	5. One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer can't find his shoes.   
> Marvin can't tie his tie.  
> It's parent's evening a year later.

“Marv! Where did you put my shoes?” Whizzer called to Marvin from the hallway.

“I haven’t touched your shoes!” Marvin called back, hurrying to tie his tie in the bathroom mirror. 

Marvin managed it and hurried out to the hall to help look for Whizzer’s shoes, grabbing his bag on the way.   
He rolled his eyes as he approached the other man.

“Whizzer, sweetie, they’re on your feet,” Marvin smiled.

“Oh, darn, thanks,” Whizzer looked down at his feet, laughing half-heartedly at himself.

“Whiz, are you okay?” Marvin wrapped his arms around the taller man’s waist. 

“Ugh, I’m fine, just nervous about tonight,” Whizzer relaxed slightly at the feeling of Marvin’s hands rubbing against his waist. 

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, there’ll be a bottle of wine waiting for you when we get home! Now come on, early bird and all that!” Marvin reached down to grab Whizzers rucksack with one hand, grabbing Whizzer’s hand with the other. 

…………………………………………………

“Oh, come on grumpy! It’s not that bad!” Cordelia laughed as Whizzer entered the staffroom looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

“I’m not sure to understand the seriousness of the situation. Not only is it parents’ evening tonight, but I’m meeting with the headteacher to ‘discuss my future at this school’”, Whizzer put on a voice to impersonate his boss, hoping no other members of staff could hear him. 

“Yeah, we’ve all had that, what makes you think it’ll be a bad thing?” Charlotte asked, returning to the sofa with two cups of coffee, handing one to Whizzer. 

“I haven’t exactly been a model teacher. Just last week, I locked myself out of my own classroom by demonstrating to a student that the windows do indeed open wide enough to escape in the event of a fire,” Whizzer sank lower and lower into the sofa. 

“Yes, but who hasn’t done that?” Cordelia asked.

“Delia, you haven’t, have you?” Charlotte asked, not quite preparing herself for the answer.

“All I’m saying is, everyone slips up at some point, there’s no need to worry!”

…………………………………………………

“Good afternoon Mr Brown, please have a seat,” the head, Mrs Wolfe, said with a smile after Whizzer knocked on her office door. 

“So, Mr Brown, as you know I wanted to meet with you to discuss your future here,” Whizzer started deep breathing, terrified about what was going to be said next. 

“You don’t use the most conventional teaching methods, but your ability to engage students at all abilities is very impressive. So…” Whizzer didn’t appreciate the pause, suddenly breathing in to brace himself.

“I would like you to apply for the position of Head of English.”

Whizzer stared blankly, as if she’d just asked him to hide a body. 

“I’m sorry, I think I just stopped breathing for a second. Could you repeat that?”

“I think you would make an excellent Head of English,” Mrs Wolfe repeated. “You don’t need to decide now, but I’d like your application emailed to me by the end of next week if you decide to go for it. Any who, I believe you have a class to teach, so if you have any questions you can email me.”

“Um, thank you,” Whizzer said dumbfoundedly, shutting the door behind him. 

He walked slowly back to his classroom, in disbelief about what just happened. 

…………………………………………….

Parents’ Evening had gone without too many hitches. A couple of parents frustrated about Whizzer’s teaching style, but he just brushed it off after his confidence boost from the head. He was excited to tell Marvin the news, so he was eager to get through the rest of the parents as quickly as possible. 

He knew Marvin would be late getting to the school, so he hung around marking books.

Just like the previous year, he heard someone running in the corridor, and Whizzer knew it was Marvin immediately. He ran into the room, Whizzer grinning from ear to ear. 

“You know, I could’ve just told you all of this at home, you didn’t need to come,” Whizzer’s heart melted at Marvin’s frazzled appearance. 

“I know, but I wanted to see you,” Marvin replied, bending over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. 

“Please take a seat Mr Gardens,” Whizzer gestured to the chair opposite him. 

“So, Jason has been doing really well this year. His grades have improved since last time we met, his confidence has grown, and he’s made friends with pretty much everyone in his class. I’m really pleased with his progress,” Whizzer said professionally, determined not to notice Marvin’s foot on top of his own. 

“Well, it’s all thanks to you Mr Brown. You’ve helped him with his homework all year,” Marvin smirked. 

This broke Whizzer’s professional demeanour. 

“Well, if anyone is to be thanked, its you. You’re the one who asked me to move in,” Whizzer whispered, leaning closer to the other man, as he was desperate for no other teachers in the room to hear him. 

Marvin was the one to return to the professional tone. 

“Thank you for the update Mr Brown,” he said changing to a whisper when he next spoke: “I’ll see you in the car.”

………………………………………….

Whizzer clambered into Marvin’s car, having converted to being given lifts after the hairdryer broke down. He leant over to kiss Marvin as he pulled the door closed. 

“Hi sweetie, how was your day?” Marvin moved his hand to the back of the other man’s neck. 

“It was fine, my last parent was late, he was very handsome though so I guess I can forgive him,” Whizzer smirked. 

Marvin laughed, “I hope you’re not planning on leaving me!”

“Never,” Whizzer replied seriously, turning his eyes to look into Marvin’s. 

“Good,” Marvin said, in the same tone. 

Whizzer turned away, “Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Marvin retracted his hand back to rest on his own knee. Whizzer took this as a cue to continue. 

“I had a meeting with the head today. She wants me to apply to be the Head of English.”

Marvin didn’t reply, he just grabbed the other man’s tie (this becoming a theme in their relationship) and kissed him. 

He rested his forehead on Whizzer’s

“I am so proud of you,” Marvin whispered, still holding onto Marvin’s tie. 

Whizzer sat back in his seat.

“So you think I should go for it?” Whizzer asked, already knowing the answer. 

“Of course you should! You’re capable of more than you think you are,” Marvin looked lovingly at his boyfriend. 

“I knew there was a reason I agreed to move in with you, so I can have by ego boosted every minute of every day!” Whizzer said jokingly. 

Marvin rolled his eyes and laughed as he pulled out of the parking space. 

…………………………………………….

As Marvin and Whizzer entered the door to their flat, Whizzer immediately shouted “WIIIIIIIINE!”, rushing over to the fridge to retrieve the bottle. 

“Jason!” Marvin called down the hallway. “Come and give your dad a hug! You’re doing so well buddy!”

Jason cringed as his dad hugged him within an inch of his life. 

“Right who’s for Chinese?” Marvin clapped his hands together, glancing over at Whizzer who was already on his second glass of wine. 

“MEEEEEEE!” Whizzer yelled, raising his hand, with his glass in the other. Jason joined in with the chorus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoy this last chapter, thank you all for reading the whole thing!   
> Any comments are more than welcome :)   
> Stay safe x

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I loved coming up with this story so I hope you all like it!  
> Any comments are more than appreciated :)


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